Method and System for Optimising A Virtualisation Environment

Abstract

A mechanism for advising users on how to optimize their virtualisation infrastructure to minimise their software costs. There are two aspects to solution. The first aspect considers the distribution of software in the virtualised environment. The second aspect determines the proper licence types (e.g., sub-capacity or full capacity) for the virtualised environment, based on the usage of the software products therein.

1 . A method of reducing cost of a one or more software applications installed in a virtualised computing environment comprising a one or more virtual machines, the method comprising:
 identifying a property of the virtual machines consumable by the virtual machines;   polling the virtual machines to determine the amount of the property therein;   polling the virtual machines to determine the usage of the one or more software applications installed therein;   calculating a first value being the total amount of the property in substantially all the virtual machines;   calculating a second value being the amount of the property in the virtual machines in which a one or more of the software applications is installed;   compressing the determined usage of the one or more software applications;   performing the above steps for a predetermined period of time;   calculating a third value from the sum of the compressed usage determined over the period of time;   calculating a first and second usage metric from the first, second and third values;   presenting advised changes to a distribution of the installed software applications to improve the first usage metric;   responsive to user input, making installation changes to a one or more of the software applications to a one or more of the virtual machines in accordance with the advised changes;   presenting advised licence types for the installed software applications to improve the second usage metric; and   responsive to user input, making licence type changes for a one or more of the software applications in accordance with the advised licence types.   
   
   
       2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein identifying a property of the virtual machines consumable by the virtual machines comprises responsive to user input specifying a property of interest. 
   
   
       3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising using user input to provide information regarding a one or more licences already bought for the one or more software applications installed in the virtualised computing environment; identifying a property of the virtual machines consumable by the virtual machines comprises identifying the consumable property specified in the licence for a given one or more of the software applications. 
   
   
       4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein responsive to user input, making licence type changes for a one or more of the software applications, comprises using user input to amend the information provided regarding a one or more licences already bought for the one or more software applications. 
   
   
       5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , compressing the determined usage of the one or more software applications comprises:
 encoding the determined usage with a value approximately equal to one in the event the determined usage indicates that the corresponding software product was active at a given polling time; and   encoding the determined usage with a value approximately equal to zero in the event the determined usage indicates that the corresponding software product was inactive at the polling time.   
   
   
       6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  calculating a first and second usage metric from the first, second and third values comprises:
 calculating a fourth value from the average of the third value divided by the first value over the predetermined period of time;   calculating a fifth value from the average of the second value divided by the first value over the predetermined period of time;   calculating the first usage metric from the fourth value divided by the fifth value; and   calculating the second usage metric as a value substantially equal to one, minus the third value.   
   
   
       7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the method further comprises providing a threshold value for the first and second usage metrics beyond which the method does not present advised changes to installed application distribution or licence type. 
   
   
       8 . A system for reducing cost of a one or more software applications installed in a virtualised computing environment, comprising:
 a processor;   a computer memory for storing instructions which when executed by the processor perform the method of:   identifying a property of the virtual machines consumable by the virtual machines;
 polling the virtual machines to determine the amount of the property therein; 
 polling the virtual machines to determine the usage of the one or more 
   software applications installed therein;
 calculating a first value being the total amount of the property in substantially all the virtual machines; 
 calculating a second value being the amount of the property in the virtual machines in which a one or more of the software applications is installed; 
 compressing the determined usage of the one or more software applications; 
 performing the above steps for a predetermined period of time; 
 calculating a third value from the sum of the compressed usage determined over the period of time; 
 calculating a first and second usage metric from the first, second and third values; 
 presenting advised changes to a distribution of the installed software applications to improve the first usage metric; 
 responsive to user input, making installation changes to a one or more of the software applications to a one or more of the virtual machines in accordance with the advised changes; 
 presenting advised licence types for the installed software applications to improve the second usage metric; and 
 responsive to user input, making licence type changes for a one or more of the software applications in accordance with the advised licence types. 
   
   
   
       9 . A computer program product stored in a medium readable by a computer machine, the computer program product tangibly embodying readable program means by causing the computer to perform the method comprising:
 identifying a property of the virtual machines consumable by the virtual machines;
 polling the virtual machines to determine the amount of the property therein; 
 polling the virtual machines to determine the usage of the one or more software applications installed therein; 
 calculating a first value being the total amount of the property in substantially all the virtual machines; 
 calculating a second value being the amount of the property in the virtual machines in which a one or more of the software applications is installed; 
 compressing the determined usage of the one or more software applications; 
 performing the above steps for a predetermined period of time; 
 calculating a third value from the sum of the compressed usage determined over the period of time; 
 calculating a first and second usage metric from the first, second and third values; 
 presenting advised changes to a distribution of the installed software applications to improve the first usage metric; 
 responsive to user input, making installation changes to a one or more of the software applications to a one or more of the virtual machines in accordance with the advised changes; 
 presenting advised licence types for the installed software applications to improve the second usage metric; and 
 responsive to user input, making licence type changes for a one or more of the software applications in accordance with the advised licence types.